Grain-meter.



No. 874,706. PATENTED DEC. 24, 190?. A. SONANDER.

GRAIN METER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. B, 1906.

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A. SONANDER.

GRAIN METER APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 190B.

PATENTED. DEC. 24, 1907.

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GRAIN METER.

APPLIOATION FILED s5 s.

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A. SONANDER.

GRAIN METER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1906.

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.f a 14 j 4 M WMWM ,z ms m attorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW SONANDER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN GRAIN METER COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OI-IIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GRAIN-METER. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed September 8. 1906- Serial No. 333,762-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW SONANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Meters, of which the following is a s ecification.

My invention re ates to grain meters, and is particularly adapted for use with that type of machine described in my pending application, Ser. No. 320,511, filed June 7th, 1906, and in reissued Letters-Patent, No. 12,554, dated November 6th, 1906, and Letters-Patent No. 806,457, issued December 5th, 1905, to H. C. Bowlus.

My object is to improve the efficiency of the machine, and particularly to reduce the impact force to the minimum, to distribute the grain in the lower hopper evenly and quietly, to avoid friction and to secure uniform action from the bearings.

Figure 1 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the spreader hereinafter fully described. Fig. 3 1s a detail view of the gate-operating mechanism for the middle hopper. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the gate-operating mechanism for the lower hopper. Fig. 5 is an elevation view of the bottom of the lower hopper and the connections to the gate. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the rock shaft described more fully in the specification of my previous application, Ser. No. 320,511. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the chain and connection to the rock shaft g.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The general arrangement of the mechanism corresponds with that shown in my allowed application and in the Letters-Patent referred to, which consists in employing movable hoppers, moving in unison, these hoppers being delicately balanced so as to respond properly to the power necessary to operate them. In my allowed a plication I have explained the very desira le form of knife-edged bearing for supporting the shaft common to the hoppers. The preferable form of construction shown herein employs two hoppers one of which is simply a receiving hopper, having greater movement than the other hopper, which difference in movement is due to differences in leverages, as explained in my allowed application.

In operation it is very essential in my arrangement of parts that the hoppers in their perpendicular movement, at the moment of weighing, should be free from friction and that they should be as free from agitation as possible. It being understood, as explained 1n my revious a plication, that the upper movab e hopper st discharges its contents into the lower weighing hopper and there after the flow of grain continues direct from the source of supply through the upper movable hopper to the weighing hopper. By reason of the fact that there is this stream of grain passing directly through the middle hopper to the lower hopper, said lower hopper is necessarily the weighing hopper or the hopper which determines the amount of grain discharged by the machine at each op eration thereof, but I do not desire to limit myself to any specific location of the hoppers. The impact force of this falling column of grain, ii not intercepted near its base, would materially reduce the amount of grain in each discharge from the weighing hopper, and consequently, as a continuous stream of grain must be taken care of, require an increased rapidity of discharge which is obj ectionable. Also, this column of grain has a tendency to swerve from the perpendicular and this tendency in connection with the impact force would cause the grain to lurch about in the weighing hopper producing frictionin the mechanism and qualifying uniformity of action of the bearings.

By the employment of the device described herein in its relation to the movable hoppers, which device I have termed a spreader and by attaching it to the frame, I am able to eliminate to a very large extent the impact force, and also, I am able to distribute the grain evenly and quietly in the weighing hopper, thereby preventing the agitation of the hoppers at the moment of weighing, thus avoiding friction and securing uniform action from the bearings. Still another advantage of this spreader device is in the result of airing and mixing the grain. I have also improved the opening and closing devices which are essential to the accuracy of the machine. By the construction herein shown, the opening and closing devices are operated quickly and positively in all their movements.

I have designated the upper movable receiving hopper as A, the lower weighing hopper as B, and the frame of the machine as C. There are substantially the same flexible connections extending from the receiving hopper to the weighing hopper, and the same knifeedged bearings for the supporting shaft, as are shown and described fully in my pending application. 'In this respect, the operation of the machine is exactly the same as that previously described. By reason of the fact that the upper movable receiving hopper has a greater movement than the lower weighing hopper, I find it desirable to use different opening and closing devices for the gates of the upper hopper from that employed in the lower. As indicated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, I employ a bracket, a secured to the rail of the frame, C. This bracket has secured to it a guide, a and the cam-block, a is guided in its movement by the guide, a, and by a corresponding guide (I located near the upper end of said block and pro jecting from the hopper, as indicated in Fig. 2. This guide-block slides freely during certain periods within said guides. The guideblock is formed with a stop or shoulder, indicated by a, (see Fig. 2) and a pin located at its lower end, designated by a. This stop and pin contact against the guide, a during part of the movement of the guide block and bring about the desired movement of the gates as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The guide-block is formed with cam-ways, a a and within these cam-ways the pins, a a, are adapted to extend. The pin, a projects from the gate-arms a, and the pin, a", from the gate arm, a, the arms being pivoted at a. In the position shown in Fig. 3 the gates are closed and the pins are at the upper ends of the cam-ways. As shown at Fig. 1 in this position the upper receiving hopper is at its extreme elevated position ready to receive the grain from the source of supply. When the predetermined amount has been deposited in the upper receiving hopper, the hopper begins to drop, as fully explained in my previous application, and during the preliminary part of its movement the cam-block moves freely within the guide, (1 Near the end of the downward movement of the receiving hopper, the shoulder, a, strikes the stationary guide, a and dur ing the continued movement of the hopper the cam block is held against further downward movement, the pins being then guided along the cam-ways, and further movement of the hopper positively operating the gates until the pins pass the corners of the camways and rest upon the flat surfaces of the cam-block. At this point, the upper hopper has completed its movement and the gates are locked in open position by reason of the contact of the pins, a against the straight surface of the guide block. During the downward movement of the receiving hopmovable hoppers, as indicated in Fig. 1, and

as fully explained in my previous application Ser. No. 320,511. The yoke, a, holds the chain in proper relation to the cam, g, as shown fully in Figs. 8 and 9.

There is employed in connection with the lower hopper a hanger, b (Fig. 5) which hanger projects from the frame of the machine. An arm, 5 is pivoted on a hanger, b also projecting from the frame, at the point indicated by b. A slot, 1), permits adjustment of this arm, and a pin, I), holds the arm in proper position after it has been adjusted. The object of this arm is to move the cam-block for the weighing hopper from its operating position so that the gates will remain closed, and the proper measuring unit be determined. This is effected by loosening the pin, b, and raising the camblock slightly and then moving the arm laterally by sliding the pin, 1), through the slot until the. cam-block is out of operating posisition. This cam-block is designated by b, (Fig. 4) and it is formed with cam-ways of peculiar contour and different in principle from that utilized for the upper receivmg hopper.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the pins, 6 projecting from the gate-arms, b", which are pivoted at b", are at the upper ends of the camway, and in this position the gates are held shut. When the weighing hopper begins to drop, the cam-block, I), being stationary, the pins, 6 travel along the cam-ways and when they have made a slight movement downwardly the become free from contact with the camways, and the cam-ways are formed to this end. As a consequence, the pins will be free from frictional engagement with the bearing surfaces so that it will be easy to determine the measuring unit at a time when the hoppers are absolutely free from any frictional contact. When the pins, I), reach the lower part of the cam-way the gates are forcibly opened byreason of the configuration of this cam-way, and they are held open in this position. By this construction of the cam-block and cam-way, I cause the gates to be closed almost as soon as the weighing hopper begins to move, whereas with the upper receiving hopper there is a predetermmed amount of movement before the gates are operated. In Fig. 5 I have shown at the left side of the machine an additional arm, 5 with a camblock and accessory devices, the same as those indicated in Fig. 4, but it is not necessary to use a cam-block on each side of the hopper, and the omission of such construction will not detract in any way from the principle of my machine. It is desirable to use the double construction on machines of large capacity, while on small machines a single operating device will be sufficient.

In Fig. 2 I have indicated in detail the spreader. It is supported bythe arm, 0 which projects from a rail of the frame, C. This arm, 0 supports the spreader, 0 which may be adjusted in proper position. It is apparent that the spreader maybe adjusted so that the cone of the spreader will approximately be in the center of the stream of grain. In this way, the grain will be scattered equally in every direction and will accomplish the advantages that I have hereinbefore designated.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 an adjustable deflecting plate, marked (1 and the pur pose of this device is to deflect the grain that striking upon the rod would be otherwise deflected out ofthe hopper. It is apparent that some of the grain will be deflected by the spreader against the small rod, 0 in such manner that the grain would jump over the top of the hopper, but by means of this, small deflecting plate I can prevent such trouble.

' g is the operating shaft. g is a cam on said shaft.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a grain meter, the combination of hoppers including a movable weighing hopper, a rock shaft common to said hoppers, bearings for said rock shaft, connections between the hoppers supported by the rock shaft, gates for the hoppers, and means for operating the gates, a spreader below the shaft and above the bottom of said weighing hopper, substantially as specified.

2. In a grain meter, the combination of a plurality of hoppers including a weighing hopper, a supporting shaft common to said hoppers being the sole support for said hoppers, bearings at each end of the shaft, means for discharging grain from said hoppers at a predetermined time, a spreader located above the weighing hopper in the path of the grain and free from the discharging means for the grain for overcoming the impact force of the grain, substantially as specified.

3. In a grain meter, the combination of a plurality of hoppers including weighing hopper, a support, a shaft common to said hoppers, said shaft being the sole support for said hoppers, gates for said hoppers, and

. means for operating the gates, a source of supply for said hoppers, and a spreader located above the weighing hopper independent of the gates, substantially as specified.

4. In a grain meter, the combination of a stationary frame, a plurality of hoppers for said hoppers, and gate operating means including a slotted operating device formed with a minimum amount of friction engaging surfaces, and a spreader device located below one of said hoppers, for the purpose specified.

5. In a grain meter, the combination of an upper receiving hopper and a weighing hopper, a stationary frame, and meansfor supporting said hoppers from said frame, gates for said hoppers, and means for operating the gates of the upper hopper having a preliminary amount of movement before the gates are operated, and means for operating the gates of the lower hopper at the com mencement of the movement of said hopper, substantially as specified.

6. In a machine of the character mentioned, a movable weighing hopper for grain, mechanism for directing a stream of said grain to said hopper free from frictional contact intermediate of the hopper and said mechanism, a spreader near the base of said stream of grain, independent both of the hopper and said mechanism and located in close proximity to said weighing hopper, substantially as specified.

7. In a grain meter, the combination of a hopper, and gates for said hopper supported by the hopper, a slotted block for positively operating said gates at the extreme upward and downward movement of said hopper, the slotted block being shaped to have a minimum amount of frictional engagement during the intermediate movement of said hopper, for the purpose specified.

8. In a grain meter, the combination of a movable hopper, gates for said hopper, means for operating the gates including a cam block, and sliding pins, said cam block being arranged so that at the point intermediate its extreme movement the pin is free from contact with the cam block, and means for locking the gates in open and closed position.

9. In a grain meter, the combination of a plurality of hoppers, a stationary frame, means connecting said hoppers with said frame, gates for said hoppers, mechanism for operating the gates including a movable cam block, and means for arresting the move ment of the cam block after an initial move- Iment of the hopper, substantially as speci- '1ed.

10. In a grain meter, the combination of a plurality of hoppers, a stationary frame and means connecting said hoppers with said frame, gates for the hoppers, mechanism including a movable cam block for operating the gates of one of said hoppers, means on each side of said stationary frame for arresting the movement of the cam block after an initial movement of the hopper, and thereafter permitting the movement of the hoppers independent of the cam blocks, substanmovably suspended from said frame, gates tially as specified.

11. In a grain meter, the combination of a hopper, gates for said hopper, a stationary slotted block, supporting arms pivoted to the frame of the hopper, and means for operating said arms by means of said slotted block for the purpose of opening and closing said gates, substantially as specified.

12. In a grain meter, the combination of movable hoppers including a weighing hopper, a shaft common to said hoppers, gates for said hoppers, means for operating the gates to regulate the discharge from said hoppers, a cone-shaped spreader, the apex of Which lies above the Weighing hopper, said spreader being entirely independent of the gates of the hoppers and the means for operating the gates, substantially as specified.

13. In a rain meter, the combination of a plurality 0% movable hoppers including a Weighing hopper, a shaft common to said hoppers, the weighing hopper being of greater capacity than the other, gates for said hop-- pers, a spreader located above the Weighing hopper, and means for operating the gates entirely independent of the spreader for regulating the discharge from said hopper, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of August A. D. 1906.

ANDREW SON ANDER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. I. WELoH, F. LLEWELLYN WALKER. 

